Mistakes Were Made
by KirbyWrites
Summary: Blame is a powerful thing. When aimed wrongly, it can cause damage to the most stone-hearted people, especially when they know they've done nothing wrong. The power of blame is not to be messed with, but if you do, there will be consequences...
1. Chapter 1

**It's been a while since I uploaded, so here you go. I'm working on the other parts of this, so I don't know how long it's going to take, but I do have a plot set up for it. Hopefully the chapters aren't too long...**

 **RIP: the Hoshi no Kaabii episodes that have been taken down from YouTube. The most complete playlist I can find as of right now is by OldClassicGamer, and episodes 1-23 as well as 50-51 have been taken down from there. Please stop for a moment to mourn these lost episodes :'(**

* * *

"Watahmelon! Watahmelon!" Kirby ran towards the watermelon field, hoping to take and eat a few of his favorite treats if any of them were ripe. Ever since the Cappies knew that they couldn't possibly prevent him from eating the watermelons, they had simply let him have control of it, so long as he didn't eat them every day. It had even gone as far as the junior Star Warrior and the village to propose a schedule as to when Kirby could eat the watermelons. From then on, the pink puff had attained to the schedule as best he could, even now, when the watermelons weren't in season.

"Kirby, no, don't eat those," Meta Knight harshly reprimanded, dragging his student back towards him. The knight pointed his sword towards the child and held it at a terrifying angle.

"Watahmelon!"

"I said NO!" The blue puff slashed at his protege's cheek and drew blood, causing the child to gasp. Kirby made a heartbroken face and he ran into Pupupu Village, tears streaming from his eyes and sobbing.

"Heh, child, you don't know what I have in store for you and your friends…" His eyes flickered red and for just a split second, a scar appeared on the side of his mask.

.

He had done so much under Meta Knight's guise. He'd rampaged through houses, killed at least half of the mayor's beloved sheep, broken through windows, freed the only prisoner in town, and caused overall panic and destruction. In less than an hour, he'd already compiled a vast number of goods from the stores, Kawasaki's restaurant, and various "Pupupuland artifacts" from Curio- not to mention all the items he'd grabbed as he had gone through the houses in town. He leaned against the castle wall to catch his breath, and after doing so, he dumped the guns and weapons he'd taken from the police station.

"So much stuff here," he mumbled, fingering one of the weapons, "and yet so careless about it… Well. I'll find a use for all this, sooner or later."

* * *

"That was a good training session, Sword, Blade," Meta Knight praised, walking into the village. Strolling through the street, his knaves on both sides of him, the knight couldn't help but notice the odd looks the villagers were giving him. The Cappies weren't usually one to point fingers, and when they did, it was most often to Dedede or Escargon. Never had he seen the villagers so angry for what was likely one united cause. Actually, he hadn't seen them so serious since the battle with NME, and even then, some tried to remain cheerful and positive.

"Sir, why's everyone looking at you weird? You didn't teleport and do something, did you?" Blade whispered.

"Preposterous. You know I was training with you this entire morning," the blue puff hissed back. "I couldn't have possibly gone anywhere without you two noticing." But the weirdest thing to all three was how everyone avoided them, did everything they could in their power to get out of their way. Some shut themselves into their houses, and Chief Borun, who was normally a placid Cappy, stood up when he saw them go by. Above all was an eerie fog of silence; even the birds seemed to get the signal and none of them were singing like they normally would on a fine day such as this. At the drawbridge of the castle was a crying Kirby with a bandage on his cheek, clinging to Fumu and being stroked by Bun.

"Kirby, are you-" Meta Knight started.

"Don't you dare say another word, Meta Knight. Kirby told us the whole story. You know how he loves watermelons! How could you stop him from eating them?! You're the one who told us that he needs vast amounts of food, so why did you try to curb it?" Fumu yelled. "Kirby told us how mean you were being to him! The whole village knows what you did!"

"Now, Fumu, you know very well I was in the woods training with Sword and Blade." The knight slowly became more and more reluctant to continue the conversation as people began to gather near the drawbridge. Fumu and Bun were looking at him accusingly and the Cappies behind him were encircling the two of them, closing off their escape route. The Cappies picked up rocks and began to throw them at the trio, creating a more than hostile environment that wasn't needed at the moment.

"Sir, you might want to leave," Blade said, pulling out his sword. "We can take care of this." The knight shook his head but stepped closer towards his knaves anyway before unsheathing Galaxia. Silence overtook the crowd when they saw the weapons, but it didn't stop the hostility.

"Meta Knight, we never knew you could be so cruel to Kirby! Leave Pupupuland, and never let us see you again!" Bun shouted. The knight could feel tears welling up in his eyes, and he wrapped himself up in his cape and warped away. Sword and Blade pushed through Fumu and Bun into the castle, causing the Cappies to scatter.

.

"What a nice job, my fabulous Cappies. I knew you could perform the job," a smooth voice purred. Fumu and Bun turned around to find that the blue puff was back, this time behind them.

"We didn't tell you to leave forever just to have you teleport behind us, you know," Fumu scolded. "We meant it- leave." The Cappies began to throw the rocks again before the knight pushed Galaxia up and blocked all the rocks with three copies of his sword.

"Hey, you never showed us that move," Bun whined.

"That's because Meta Knight never had and never will have that move. It's one for me and me alone, and no one will ever learn the technique I use."

"Are you suggesting that you're not Meta Knight?" Fumu questioned skeptically. The knight smirked as his appearance began to change. His mask developed a long black scar on one side, Galaxia turned silver, and his cape became dark and tattered. The blue turned into gray, like clouds covering a sunny blue sky, and his eyes turned more orange than yellow as they became even angrier than they had been before.

"Tch. You're a smart one. All the other villages I conquered never knew what was coming. You're right, little one, for I am not that losing blue puffball. I am Dark Meta Knight."

.

Sword and Blade walked into their apartment to find their lord solemnly sitting on the couch. He took a sigh before saying anything. "Sword, Blade, I'm leaving Dreamland," Meta Knight said. "Now, before you say anything, I'm not completely leaving. I will just be staying in Whispy Woods for the time being, or at least until all this has calmed down. Your task is to bring me supplies and news every other day at Whispy. The radio is so I can talk to you and give you directions if needed, though I may just use it for conversations." The knight produced a radio from the folds of his cape and handed it to them before leaving for his own room. Minutes later, they could hear the window opening and a rush of air going out. The knaves rushed towards the window to find the puff flying through the air, wings outstretched and angled towards the woods.

"Blade, you think Fumu was serious? About wanting Sir Meta Knight to leave Pupupuland forever?" Sword asked.

"Let's hope not," Blade replied, "though it seems like this conflict has struck him deep. Who knows, he might never recover."

.

Fumu and Bun were staring at Meta Knight's impostor in horror. This round puffball was nothing like the one they knew so well; they had paid no attention to that feeling that told them that this wasn't the puffball knight that regularly protected them on a daily basis. Dark Meta Knight was looking at them knowingly, waiting for their reaction. Inwardly, he was almost slapping himself with the naive and gullible nature these Cappies had. He had gotten better reactions from the last village he conquered, and the people there were basically stone-hearted. Those people probably didn't even know what humor was. He had almost yawned in his tiredness and impatience, but finally, the girl figured it out. He had expected that she would. "Wait, so if you're not Meta Knight-" Fumu said.

"And you were the one causing all the trouble with Kirby and in the village-" Bun added.

"Then the real one, who we just told to leave Pupupuland forever and never come back-"

"Was innocent?!" They said the last part together in disbelief. The Cappies began murmuring amongst themselves as they finally realized their mistake. The real Meta Knight would never have lied about what he had done, as he believed that mistakes were mistakes and that one should confess to them when given the chance. If he had done it, he would have immediately apologized to Kirby and the others and given them an explanation. This puffball denied whatever he did and caused mischief for the sake of causing it- the complete opposite of the knight they knew.

"Gahahaha! You finally figured it out, you naive little peoples! Of course, the only one who can save you now is Meta Knight himself, but with my fabulous plan, you drove him out for me! Thanks for the boost to kingship, my future citizens! I look forward to wrecking- er, governing- this lovely little place! Ta-ta!" The dark knight flapped up and into the castle, and before long, a ruckus erupted from the castle. The Cappies scattered for good, leaving only Fumu, Bun, and Kirby on the drawbridge. She still couldn't believe they had wrongly accused the blue puff for something he would never have done anyways.

"Sir Meta Knight, I never intended for this to happen…" Fumu thought, images of her friend flashing through her mind. "What have I done to you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**This is likely the most depressing chapter in this entire story. Near the end, you will see why I rated this what I did (probably should've added angst into the theme as well). It'll start lightening up eventually, but not by much and overall it'll be a sad-ish story.**

 **As for the Hoshi no Kaabii episodes being deleted, I've found portions of 1-7. A channel named GalactaKirby (or something like that) compares the original Japanese version with the English version. Some scenes are not shown, like Fumu/Tiff calling the Warp Star, but it's close to the whole episode. Good if you don't mind watching it in scenes and don't mind watching side-by-side comparisons of some scenes. I'm sure we all want to watch Meta Knight kick Dedede's tank down a mountain twice, right? Or is that just me?**

 **Bunnyrabbit202: I know, I've read that one too. I received slight inspiration from it, but then my mind went crazy and added all these other events. So here you go. Have Dark Meta Knight making Meta depressed and have a lot of other weird shtick.**

 **Madame Mirage77 (Guest): You're damn right when you say an apology isn't going to cut it. You've driven him out, put him in exile, and then found out he was innocent the whole time. But I am glad you like it so far. I wish you luck on your Hoshi no Kaabii episode search and maybe the information I've posted above will help you!**

* * *

Swooping down into Whispy's clearing, Meta Knight landed near a small creek and sat near its edge. He sighed, recalling the current events for the thousandth time, and let his feet trail in the water. The knight picked up a rock and skipped it across the river, watching it land on the other side. Tears began freely dripping from his eyes as he picked up more of them and scattered them across the river. Once there were no more rocks around him, he picked up a nearby leaf and began fiddling with it, having absolutely nothing to do but not wanting to set up camp just yet. "Excuse me, but are you the legendary swordsman Meta Knight?" The blue puffball jumped up, withdrawing Galaxia, before realizing that it was a small sapling. The knight knew trees were sentient here, but why would one care about a stray puffball?

"Yes… how may I help you?" The sapling gasped and squealed.

"Please carve your name into my bark!" Meta Knight was confused by the request, but he carefully took Galaxia's tip and etched it in. The tree squealed and retreated into itself, leaving the knight alone, his hand still gripping his sword's edge. He was bleeding from holding it so long, but he didn't think much of it even though his glove was becoming stained with his blood. He sheathed Galaxia and returned to playing around with a leaf. After a while, he became bored with the leaf and threw it in the creek. "You seem down today, my knightly friend," a voice behind him said. Meta Knight turned towards the center of the clearing; Whispy had awoken.

"Greetings, Whispy. Your trees seem to like me already," the knight responded. "Just earlier, one asked for my 'autograph'."

"Well, you are quite the celebrity here. Most, if not all, of my trees know you from the defeat of Nightmare."

"I suppose some of my fame can lighten the day up… at least, after what happened today…"

"Hmm? What did happen today that's got you down in the dumps? I know you're normally the reserved type, but never- how should I say this- depressed."

"I'd rather not say…"

"If you're going to camp here, you're going to need help. I could give you that help in exchange for a story. I'm sure you're hungry." The blue puffball looked at the apples hanging from the high branches of the elder tree. He didn't mention that he was feeling peckish, and he had to try and resist taking off his mask to inhale the fruit.

"You're sure you want to hear it? It's much too complicated to explain. It's also, as the Cappies say it, a long story."

"Then sit down and tell me about it! And while you're doing it, patch up that cut of yours. It looks bad. If you'd like, I can ask the animals to find some herbs for it."

"Well… thanks… I actually could use the help, so… here goes nothing."

._._.

Kirby couldn't find his mentor anywhere. All he wanted was to apologize to the knight and let him know that he'd done nothing wrong. The pink puff knew that it hadn't been the blue puffball at all; it had been wrong to tell the people in the village. Now Meta Knight was gone, and he couldn't do anything about it. Sitting down on the castle lawn and not seeing Fumu or Bun anywhere, Kirby felt hopeless and when he felt hopeless, he wanted to eat. He took a deep breath and floated in the direction of Whispy Woods. His friend always had the best apples and he knew he probably needed a break from trying to find his mentor. Still, as he floated towards the woods, he couldn't help but think about the blue puff and how lonely he must be. Kirby exhaled, seeing as he was near Whispy, and fell, grabbing a nearby tree branch to swing onto the ground. There was a tent below Whispy, but the tree didn't seem to mind much. Looking around, he could see past the flaps of the tent and when he saw who it was, he widened his eyes, completely forgetting about his apples. But when Kirby slowly walked into the tent, he noticed that the blue puff was crying, his body shaking from tears. He took a step towards Meta Knight, tilting his head in concern for his mentor. "You're probably here to tell me how much you hate me," the knight whispered. He sniffed and buried his face in his cape, choking back sobs, his chest heaving with the effort it took to cry. Kirby caught a small glimpse of his mentor's tear-streaked, puffy face, reminding him of himself, and he stepped closer with his arms ready for a hug. Sometimes the knight was extremely misunderstood and the pink puffball knew that his friend, like everyone else, needed someone by his side at times like this.

"So go ahead," Meta Knight added quietly. The pink puff shook his head even though he was sure the knight didn't see it.

"Kaabii fowgive you, Meta."

"Y-you what?"

"Kaabii know that not weal Meta. Kaabii wong to tell villwage. Is Kaabii's fault, and Kaabii sowwy."

"Comforting… but still, you must dislike me now. I hid like a coward and didn't fight… for you, our friends…"

"Bad Meta not real Meta. Kaabii not fowgive bad Meta, but Kaabii definitewy forwgive you." Meta Knight found it within himself to lift his head and give a tiny smile, but still a sad one nonetheless.

"Then I forgive you too, Kirby."

* * *

He would turn this rural village into a bustling city. Yes, that was the first thing he would do as king. Or maybe he'd block off those accursed woods- ever since a sharp root had cut through his mask in the Mirror World, he had fostered immense hate for forests. Dark Meta Knight hummed as he absently pet a Waddle Dee with his hand. The Dees had been easy enough to persuade; promise them more food and better treatment and they would do anything, even abandon their loyalty to their former master. Dedede was impertinently squawking as he was being tied up by his own servants. Grinning beneath his mask, Dark strolled to his new kingly room, the Dee he had been petting following him as he sat on the bed to think. Now all he needed was an accomplice to help him take over. "You seem to like me," the new king said, letting the Dee sit on the bed beside him. The Waddle Dee nodded enthusiastically and allowed himself to be petted once more.

"You know, if you like me this much, I should give you something." The dark knight pulled a small, black propeller hat out of his tattered cape and gently placed it on the Waddle Dee's head. The Dee reached up in amazement to touch his new hat and almost cried when he knocked it off his head. Dark wiped the tears and put the hat back on before spinning the propeller with a flick of his hand. The Waddle Dee had to hold on to the hat as his feet lifted above the ground.

"How about it? I'll name you… Propeller Dee!" The Dee nodded with a look of joy on its face. The evil knight cackled in his mind; he'd have a partner in crime after all.

.~. (T^T)

Meta Knight looked slowly around. Kirby had gone off to collect fruit and he had left him alone with his hand on Galaxia's hilt. The knight pulled out his sword and held it so the point was digging into his skin. It stung without the cool metal of his mask there to protect him and he could feel the blood dripping down his body as he slowly dug it deeper. _So then, this is goodbye, Meta Knight._

 _I really am sorry, Galaxia… Kirby will be a great wielder of you. He'll do amazing things in his life, I can sense it._

 _But what is that life without a cause?_ You _are Kirby's cause. At least think this over. You'll regret this decision._

 _I had a good run in this life. Kirby can grow up without me._

 _If you think he can ever forget you, you are dead wrong. That child cares for you more than he cares about himself._

 _Yet I can't live with it… goodbye, Galaxia. When Kirby first wields me, tell him I'm sorry for leaving him this way._ As he was telepathically speaking, he was slowly pushing the blade into him, ignoring the pain and his life dripping out. The blue puff was just about to plunge the sword into his body when Kirby burst into the tent and yanked it from him. Almost immediately, he threw Galaxia out and began hurriedly wiping at the blood. Then a Water Copy Ability hat appeared on his head and he sprayed the floor of the tent, somehow not soaking anything, then began on the knight's body. Kirby gently sprayed Meta Knight and the Copy Ability changed from Water to Doctor as he pulled out a roll of gauze. "Meta, why you do?" the pink puff asked, tilting his head once he had finished.

"Nova, I'm sorry, Kirby… it's probably my war depression. And now this… Maybe someday, not today, I can finally try suicide… just to have closure, to meet my comrades again, to be living freely in the stars…"

"Meta? What depession?"

"It's a terrible ailment that there is no cure for. You'll learn about it soon enough."

"Pwomise never do again?"

"Alright. For your sake, I will. Not that I'd try just yet…" The knight buried his face in his hands as he leaned against the side of the tent. Before long, he had fallen asleep, tears rimming his eyes. Kirby gazed at his mentor sadly before he switched back to his Water ability and went out to polish Galaxia- with Meta Knight's radio in his paws.

:.:

"Sword? Bwade?" Kirby pushed some buttons and spoke as he buried Galaxia in a pile of leaves fallen from the harsh sting of autumn. Yes, he knew the knight's sword was never to be played with, but the sight of his mentor with his weapon halfway embedded in himself scared the child terribly. While Meta Knight was asleep, the pink puff took the opportunity to try and find out some more, but it was a while before the radio crackled to life and he got a response.

"Kirby?! What are you doing, calling us from Sir Meta Knight's radio?" Blade exclaimed.

"Quiet, poyo! Meta might hear. He vewy sad and cry to sleep just earlier, and Kaabii don't wanna wake him up. But Kaabii has news."

"What kind? Do you need help? Supplies? How quickly do you need it and what do you need?"

"I don't think Kaabii need anything, but probably chocolate for Meta. And the news is bad. Kaabii think Meta sick."

"It's probably nothing we can't cure. Fumu's been teaching us first aid for a while. What'd he say it was?"

"He say it really bad sick and there no medicine fow it. Meta say is called depession, and it make him poke self with his sword. He bleed a lot, so Kaabii takes Gawaxia and make pwomise never do again."

"Oh no… we could be too late. We'll come later, but what'd you do with Sir Meta Knight's sword?"

"Hide it with Whispy. Kaabii think that Meta might bweak pwomise, so Kaabii hide it. And there something else too. Meta said he wanna twy soo-cy." There was a gasp at the other end of the line; panicked chatter and bits of conversation floated through, but Kirby couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Kirby, you _must_ make sure that Meta Knight does not do that. Do anything to make him forget about it. Play with him, train with him, eat with him, whatever. Follow him around if you have to. Just make sure that sword never goes back into his body."

"Ok, but why? What soo-cy, Bwade?"

"It's a dangerous thing, and I hope you never do it. But should our lord ever try that, it'll be bad, Kirby. Trust me."


	3. Chapter 3

**A very unexpected event in this chapter. Brace yourselves for it. I'm currently working on multiple fanfictions at once (the stress of it!) and I've literally abandoned everything else to work on this. Don't expect too much once this story is done.**

 **MrEpic382FF: I'm talking about Hoshi no Kaabii, not Kirby Right Back at Ya. KRBY as I know it is perfectly safe, but maybe that's because I prefer watching the English sub than the 4Kids version.**

 **MadameMirage77: I have shown off Meta Knight's wings as well as Fumu and Kirby's reactions in an earlier fanfiction. If you check out my first one, _Frozen Hearts_ , his wings are first mentioned in Chapter 7 (I think). And thank you so much for finding that complete playlist! I'm indulging in it as soon as I figure out which episodes are which.**

.

 **This guest has been kind enough to find a complete playlist of Hoshi no Kaabii for us! The playlist owner goes under the name of Billy Foster and the episodes are all there. They're mixed (the episode 1 that is labeled isn't exactly the real episode 1) but it doesn't really matter. Thank you, MadameMirage77!**

* * *

How did you explain such a dark and dangerous subject to a kid that was barely little more than an infant? The question would have to remain unanswered as Sword stuffed things in a bag and Blade dumped an armful of chocolate into it. Right now, it was more important that they got to the woods fast; the news Kirby had said disturbed them. "Alright, Blade, let's go," Sword commanded, throwing the bag over his shoulder. The two of them climbed out of the back window and dropped to the ground, dashing for the bridge to the woods.

"Sword, Blade, where are you going?" The duo turned around to see Fumu running after them. There were leaves and sticks in her hair and most of it had become untangled- likely in a search for Meta Knight.

"To Whispy Woods. His Highness told us to take some things there and if we want to stay in the castle, we'll have to do what he wants," Blade sighed. The girl crossed her arms, clearly not convinced with the explanation.

"Then why does it smell like chocolate? And why are you two panicking?" Sword shook his head and shifted the bag to his other shoulder.

"We'll tell you what's going on while we're walking. Act like a prisoner. We'll need an excuse to get into the woods without looking suspicious. An order and a prisoner should do just fine." Blade grabbed Fumu roughly by the hands, shoving her in the direction of the bridge. The Dees at the bridge pointed their spears at first, but after a gentle explanation from both of them, they parted and let the two pass. As soon as they were in the cover of the trees, Fumu broke out of Blade's grip and faced them.

"Now you two owe me an explanation," she said. "Why are you in such a hurry to get to Whispy all of a sudden? And why with so much stuff?"

"It's about Sir Meta Knight. Kirby called us earlier with his radio and told us really bad news. He plans to… oh, we'll tell you later. Just hurry up."

The knight watched disinterestedly as the child changed positions yet another time. Kirby had been trying to get his mentor to play with him in the creek, but since Meta Knight had rejected and the pink puff couldn't just leave, the two had been in the tent for a while. "Meta, please," Kirby whined. "Kaabii bored."

"Then go," the knight suggested. "You're old enough to play in the creek by yourself. I'll stay here."

"No, come with Kaabii. Please…" As much as Kirby wanted to go by himself in the creek, the fear that the knight would find his sword was too great to bear with. Suppose he got the notion to try sticking it back in his body… "Maybe that's the soo-cy Blade talked about," Kirby thought. "If it is the soo-cy, I don't want Meta trying it." So the pink puffball made his best puppy-dog face since he knew his mentor could never argue with it, and gazed at the blue puff sadly. At the sight of his student's pleading face, Meta Knight sighed; the pink puffball certainly knew his weaknesses, and one of them was the inability to argue with Kirby's adorable face whenever he wanted something. For that reason, and that reason alone, Kirby won almost every argument he ever had, from getting more food at Kawasaki's to trying to see the blue puff's cute face again.

"Fine," the knight said with a grin, removing his mask. "I'm not going to be like my counterpart in the village and ruin your happiness. At least let me take all my armor off first, I don't want it getting wet."

"What about bandage?"

"Yes, I'll take it off before we go. It doesn't seem like it will bleed anymore."

Kirby waited for his mentor to carefully place his armor in a corner of the tent; once the cape was covering everything, he latched onto the knight's back, in between his wings. Meta Knight chuckled, slowly pulling off the bandage and revealing a scar the size of Galaxia's blade. Then the two puffballs soared out of the tent and around the clearing before diving into the river.

'-'

When Fumu arrived at the clearing with Sword and Blade, the two puffballs were playing in the river, the knight's wings curled protectively around the smaller puff. Kirby was squealing as he soaked an armorless blue puffball with water and got splashed for it. Then he ducked into the water and pulled out a fish, keeping it in the water as he marveled at the color of its scales. In their fun and games, it took a while before Meta Knight noticed the three in the clearing as he sprayed water at Kirby. At the sight of his knaves, the knight told the pink puff to stay where he was and climbed out of the water. He shook water drops off him, then swept his gaze over the three. "And you are here because?" Meta Knight asked curiously. Sword gently set the bag he had been carrying down on the ground.

"We brought food and a few sweets for you two," he chuckled. "Knowing puffballs, you and Kirby must have already finished all the fruit in the forest, sir."

"Not yet, but I'm sure Kirby will enjoy the variety from the apples he's been constantly eating. Kirby, come here!" When the pink puffball didn't answer, the knight quickly looked around the clearing to search for his protege. When no sign of pink showed in the vicinity, he ran to the edge of the river and looked around. Last he remembered, Kirby had been playing here, but maybe the current had…

"Meta! Help!" The blue puff turned to where the voice had come from; when he saw Kirby desperately clinging onto a plant stem in the raging current dangerously close to a waterfall, Meta Knight spread his wings and took flight, his feet skimming the surface of the water.

"Kirby, hang on for as long as you can! I'm coming!" Fumu, Sword, and Blade watched as the knight tackled his student, lifting the two of them out of the water safely- and right over the edge of the waterfall.

* * *

"Let me out, ya sorry excuse of a knight! Stupid, Nova-forsaken son of a Scarfy… Even the regular Meta Knight was better than ya, and he helped that there Kirby every chance he got!" Dark Meta Knight rolled his eyes and spun his sword with his hands. Listening to the king's ranting was somewhat amusing, especially when he tried comparing the two knights. Dark already knew he was _so_ much better than his counterpart, who was probably sulking in the blackest corner of the woods with his little pink puff, Kirby. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Kirby since the citizens had driven Meta Knight out. But that was fine with him; it was one less problem to deal with in his kingship. Dark got up and walked away, chuckling as Dedede screamed for him to come back. He'd have to return sometime and tease the self-proclaimed king when he was bored since it made for such good entertainment. Propeller Dee followed him to the Dees' quarters, joining the other Dees for their daily head pat. Part of the agreement that the black puff and the Waddle Dees (with the help of Waddle Doo) was that they were treated better overall and that every single one of them got pet every day. So far, he had kept his end of the argument, or at least, he thought… He didn't think he had done anything wrong with the Dees so far and if anything, they seemed to like him a lot- though, with Waddle Dees, he couldn't really tell. He pet the last one on the head and waved at the Dees as they spread back out to their jobs. As he walked back to the throne room, he figured his plan of his had to get into action. Perhaps he could use the machine he'd been coding… "Propeller, come here for a sec." His right-hand Dee strolled over and stood still when Dark installed something into his hat.

"Now you can speak your mind," the black knight said. "To say something, start a thought with 'speak' and once you've thought up what you want to say, think 'end'. That way, you have the ability to speak and think. Try it out."

"Thanks, Your Majesty! I really appreciate you giving this machine to me," Propeller Dee chirped.

"You are very welcome. Now with your new voice, go out into the village with Waddle Doo and a few of your fellow Dees. Round up every last male Cappy in the village, because I'm building an army."

.-.

Meta Knight flipped so Kirby was on top of his body. His wings were pinned to his sides by the rush of the wind beside him and they were useless as they were. The pink puffball was whimpering, clutching to his mentor's arms, afraid of the wind like it would cut into him. The knight knew a number of risky flight maneuvers that could possibly save both their lives, but with the amount of fear the child was showing, it was unlikely the blue puff could get him to cooperate. The elder Star Warrior put a hand on his protege's back, calming his shaking, and began to think of a new plan. He couldn't fly right now, but to him, Kirby's life was all that mattered. "Kirby, do you trust me?" Meta Knight asked quietly. The puffball in question nodded vigorously and squeezed harder against his mentor.

"Then I need you to do something. When I let you go-" The pink puff scrabbled against the knight and held him in a death grip, terrified of the idea that he was going to fall. He didn't even care if he died by clinging to the Star Warrior this way; he just didn't want to see the ground hurtling towards him at that alarming speed. But surely his mentor would never…

"Calm down, Kirby, don't act so scared. I'll just be letting go of you so you can float down. So when I let you go, I want you to take a deep breath and start flapping your arms like when you float around in the air. Got it?" The child shook, but swallowed his fear and nodded. Meta Knight slowly loosened his grip on the pink puffball's back and once Kirby had taken a good deal of air in, he let go of him completely, even pushing him so he could gain some extra altitude. But as soon as the knight started free-falling, the child spat out his air.

"Meta!" The elder Star Warrior shook his head, instead puffing up his cheeks and flapping his own arms to show his student what he was supposed to be doing. Instantly, the pink puff inhaled and started slowly floating down. Meta Knight smiled, then closed his eyes as he began to fall. Only now was he beginning to notice how cold the wind felt on his unprotected body; it ripped into him with the sting of early autumn. The knight opened his eyes and risked a glance down. The water was right there… Unaware of Kirby rushing to catch him, he held some air in his lungs, waiting for the moment he would sink into the lake.

:I

"Hurry, Fumu, there's a route leading down to the bottom!" Blade cut through some undergrowth and jumped off the ridge to the grass below. Sword followed, his hand clutching Fumu's, and the three ran downhill. The two knaves slashed through plants blocking their way, leaving a path for her to follow.

"You know, you guys never did tell me why we were headed here," she yelled. "You said you'd explain later two hours ago!"

"It's about Meta Knight," Sword shouted back. "According to Kirby, he tried to commit suicide with his own sword. We're here to try and stop that!"

"No! He'd never!" Fumu couldn't imagine what life would be like if the knight had left forever. He was often the only one who would listen to her about Dedede's plans or new books. And then there was the problem of the demonbeasts; the blue puff was the one who'd saved them and Kirby from many of Nightmare's monsters, including the Dedede Stone and Wolfwrath. But Kirby… how would he react? He held his mentor in a tight position close to his heart and if the first death the pink puff witnessed was that of the knight's, he would never get over it. He was a puff with an innocent mind and an innocent heart, but then again, so was Meta Knight. Under his stoic facade was an adorable puffball who indulged in sweets, loved being pet, and cared for his friends. It was true that he'd suffered a lot in his life so far, but he never seemed too off whenever it was mentioned and readily offered stories when asked.

"He has, and he will. Truth is, he was depressed long before he came to Popstar, Fumu," Blade said. "Having you, Kirby, and Bun around made him forget about it for a few years, but now it's back and harder than ever. You three made him feel needed in this world. Once everyone turned against him, he had no more reason to live."

"He can't die now! What about Kirby?!"

"He's been holding off for now, but we believe Kirby can do it. Hopefully, his positive mindset is enough to pull Sir Meta Knight back."

...

The air pressure from above squeezed the air from the knight's lungs as he crashed into the water. Feeling the oxygen leave his lungs sent him into a frenzied panic; the water hurt his eyes, so hoping he wouldn't need them, he closed them. He tried taking a breath, but when cold water filled his mouth, he remembered that he was in a pond and couldn't. The blue puff spat out the water and felt himself burning for air, fighting for it. But the water held him in a still grip as he squirmed in it and he could already feel his body going limp. Then Meta Knight shook his head; Kirby was counting on him to survive! He started paddling where he thought was up, then flinched as he felt his head hit rock. The knight began going unconscious from lack of air when two arms scooped him up and dumped him on the shore. Then something punched his stomach and he coughed out a mass of water, filling his body with the forest air. The winged puff coughed harder when the same something punched him a second time and he groaned, collapsing onto the soil before finally opening his eyes. "Meta poyo? You okay?" Kirby was standing before him, his face twisted in a look of concern.

"I should be fine, thanks…"

"Want poyo to help and punch again?"

"I'll pass. Thank you for pulling me out, though."

"You welcome!" The knight started coughing again, picking himself up to do it sitting against a tree, and shivered when a stiff breeze blew through the lakeside. The pink puffball sat in his mentor's lap and gently hugged the elder Star Warrior to protect him from the wind. Kirby felt a drop on his head and strong, shaky arms hug him back. Mistaking the water drop for a tear and his shivering for the shaking one does while crying, the child thought the knight was sad and he felt the need to comfort his beloved friend.

"Kaabii here, Meta. Kaabii pwotect you, so Meta no need to worry now."


	4. Chapter 4

**This looks a lot longer when I see it in Google Docs. Comparing it to other stories like _Honor the Past_ by Zerodius, I've realized just how short my stories are in terms of words. This thing is like 35 pages in Docs... oh well, still short.**

 **MadameMirage77: Kirby loves Meta Knight and hates to see him suffer, thus why they're staying together. Hopefully you can make up your mind about the treatment of the Cappies when you read this!**

* * *

"Hey! Let us go! Where are you taking us?!" Chief Borun yelled. "I'll have you arrested for disturbing public peace!" Waddle Doo tugged harder on the chains as he and the procession of male Cappies behind him marched towards the castle. The cuffs around the hands of them tightened and some yelped in pain. Propeller Dee made a few notes on a piece of paper and waved his paw at the Dees standing by the drawbridge. Wives chased after their husbands in tears when the Waddle Dees led then through the castle gate but were pushed back by other Dee guards. The Cappies were led into the throne room where Dark Meta Knight was waiting.

"Very good, my Dees. Extra head pats today," the black knight said. "Now run off, I have business to do with these citizens. I'll be along shortly." The Waddle Dees rushed off to their quarters and the black puffball faced his prisoners.

"Now you may be wondering why I had the Dees bring you here."

"Release us, fiend! We won't submit to the likes of you. We'd even slave for Dedede if it means escaping you!" Borun protested.

"But there is no escaping me. _I_ am king, and that trashy King Dedede is down in the dungeons. We may go visit if we have the time, but I suspect it won't happen. Too much to do, too little time."

"What do you plan to do with us? We have work in the fields, you know! It's how the economy around here survives! Almost no one is left!"

"I left the mayor where he was. I suppose the village needs a leader, even one as unworthy as him. That chef boy too, I don't need him poisoning my soldiers."

"Soldiers?!"

"Oh, hasn't anyone told you? You're my new army now."

.

Worry for the two puffballs engulfed Fumu as she, Sword and Blade cut through the last bush and stepped into the clearing. She stopped short, however, when she saw them against a tree, Kirby with his arms wrapped around the bigger puff.

"Sir Meta Knight! You're not hurt, are you?" Fumu said worriedly.

"I don't recall asking you to come," the knight curtly responded. "Do you not have business in Pupupuland?"

"That's what I'm here for. Come back, Meta Knight. We need you, and the whole town misses you!"

"Even if I wanted to, which I don't, I would not be able to. Remember, Fumu- a knight works for the people." She glanced questioningly at Sword and he gave her a look that told her he'd explain later. When she turned back to the puffballs, Blade had joined them, beginning to fuss over the two.

"Sir, you're freezing! Why didn't you bring your cape? And you have a scar, what happened?"

"You try almost drowning in that lake water and coming out to immediate wind… and I didn't bring the cape because I didn't want it to get wet. Besides, you already know what happened to cause my scar."

"Still! At the least, you could've gone back up and gotten it! You're cold and that could get worse!"

"You were looking for me… if you came down here to find us gone, you'd panic beyond belief."

"That's true. Are you going to come with us up the route to the camp?"

"The fastest way to get somewhere is a straight line. Let's go, Kirby." Meta Knight spread his wings and took off with the pink puff in his hands. Together, the two began flying- or in Kirby's case, floating- up the waterfall while the other three watched from below. Once they had gotten to the top and disappeared from sight, the silence was broken as the trio started back up the route.

"Sword? What does it mean when he said a knight works for the people?" Fumu asked.

"Sir Meta Knight means that whatever happens, his job is to protect the citizens. So whatever you say, he takes as an order. If you want him to go back to Pupupuland, you have to take back the order you gave. If he tries to go back without your repeal of what you said, he'd be breaking the code of knightly honor."

"Can I do it now? I was part of issuing it, wasn't I?"

"It doesn't work that way, Fumu. You have to get the person who told our lord to leave and tell him to come back."

"So Bun has to get over here and take back what he said for Meta Knight to return?"

"Yes."

"Um… that's going to be a problem. How am I going to sneak Bun out of guard duty at the castle dungeons?"

.

Meta Knight was shivering harder by the time they finally reached the camp. The spray from the waterfall had soaked him again and the wind that had blown the stray water in his face turned those drops into sharp missiles, stinging against his skin and making his hands go numb. At least the river couldn't hit him with its barrage of freezing projectiles… When he landed, the knight could barely stay on his feet from shaking so much and Kirby had to help guide him back to the tent. Once inside, the pink puff lovingly wrapped his mentor with the rich purple cape he had left behind and donned a Fire Ability hat before sitting next to the blue puffball. Then the child noticed the bag of food Sword had left behind and with a cry of delight, began digging through the bag. Kirby pulled out a bar of chocolate and munched on it hungrily, then thought better of it and broke a piece off for his mentor. He handed Meta Knight the chocolate and they enjoyed it together, the pink puffball pushing into the knight's side. "I see you've already gotten into the supplies, sir," Blade smirked from the entrance. The blue puff's head shot up and he blushed fiercely as he attempted to hide the fact that he'd been eating sweets.

"I, um… It wasn't… it's not what you think it is!" Meta Knight stammered, shoving the rest of the chocolate in his mouth. He sighed happily when it melted, forgetting that he was being watched by his knaves; when he realized they were still there, he covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.

"Honestly, sir, everyone here knows you like sweet things. You don't need to hide it- at least, not with us."

"Getting back to the more serious matter, Sir Meta Knight, Fumu would like to apologize. We all believe it's in her best interest to do it now."

"An apology? I've heard many of those over the years, but for something this drastic, you'll have to do something else. Making an apology may be in her best interest, but listening to one isn't in mine."

* * *

"One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four! March in line, swords up at the ready pointing at the air! Steady, march!" Propeller Dee shouted, hovering above the sweating male Cappies. They had been practicing the march for just around two hours and so far, Dee was beginning to think they'd never get anywhere because of it. Sometimes he wondered why Dark Meta Knight put these Cappies on the army in the first place; he knew he wasn't supposed to question his king, but Propeller wondered if something had gone wrong when Dark had made that decision.

"Alright, stop!" The Cappies sighed in relief as they slumped to the grass, exhausted from their march around the castle in the burning afternoon sun. The army regimen consisted of running, marching, sparring, and so many other things that the Cappies weren't used to.

"Get up! No one told you to lay down! In the army, you only do what you're told, and if no one told you to do it, don't! Now up and at 'em, next up is swordfighting!" They groaned, and Propeller clapped his paws together. Waddle Doo tossed the airborne Dee a metal-tipped whip, and he lashed it at them. At the crack of it hitting the ground, the Cappies scrambled to find a partner and they began clumsily hitting each other with the moves they had been taught.

"Sir Meta Knight makes using one of these look so easy," Chief Borun complained as he dropped his sword. "A flick of his hand and a sword beam comes flying out!"

"If only he was here teaching us now," Samo agreed. "We'd all be done with training if he were here."

"Yes. But maybe it'd be harder because he demands so much. Have you seen him train with his knaves?"

"Once. The intensity they were fighting with was unbelievable."

"No talking! Concentrate, you foolish ingrates. We'll never get anywhere if you spend the whole training session blabbing away! Meta Knight isn't here anymore, thanks to you. Now get on with it!" Propeller Dee commanded. The clearing echoed with the sound of clashing weapons and nothing else as Dee swept his glare over his soldiers.

"I still can't believe we got fooled again. Then again, the new king's the spitting image of Meta Knight," Borun whispered.

"But we get duped by Dedede just as easily. Are we really that gullible?"

.

Fumu sat on a rock outside the tent sadly. She was at a loss for what to do after the knight had rejected her apology before she had made it. Her first thought was to go back inside and apologize anyway, but Meta Knight could get angry with her and he would never come back. The knight already seemed so peaceful here that she didn't want to try and aggravate him, and if what Sword and Blade had told her was true, what she did could trigger his erratic suicide impulses. "You are thinking of a way to get him to come back, yes?" Sword was standing next to her when she looked up from the ground.

"Won't Meta Knight be looking for you?"

"Blade and Kirby are keeping him busy for the time being. I'm sure he can manage with those two for a while. What's on your mind?"

"Well, at first, I was going to do it anyways, but it probably isn't going to work. I wouldn't want to make him angry."

"Wise move. When he says he's not in the mood for something, don't do it. Blade tried it once. This was back when we had never seen what was behind Sir Meta Knight's mask, and she tried to persuade him to take it off. She ended up getting locked in our room, leaving me to sleep in our lord's room. It was the first time I saw Meta Knight without the mask, and to this day, Blade is still pissed about the fact that I got to see his puffball face first."

"So what do you think I should do? You and Blade are the closest ones to him besides Kirby, and I'm at a loss right now. You know him best, so what's the best thing I should do?"

"If you're determined about him wanting to come back, prove it. Go to the village and bring Bun here to take back the order. Then he'll probably pick up on the fact that you really do want his counterpart gone."

"It's guard duty, Sword… with your experience patrolling around the castle, isn't it hard to go somewhere without Meta Knight finding out?"

"I don't know about Dark Meta Knight, but our lord doesn't tend to keep a good eye on us. Heck, sometimes he's the one going off somewhere. But in all seriousness, Fumu, this is the one chance you've got to show that you're committed to getting rid of his mirror counterpart."

"I've heard the dungeons are more heavily guarded than they used to be. Won't there be a lot of challenges?"

"Every mission has challenges. Get used to it." She nodded determinedly and stood up, running in the direction of Pupupu Village.

"I'll come back- and this time, with Bun!"

.

Bun traipsed the halls of the dungeon for the umpteenth time and sighed. Ever since Dark Meta Knight had been in power, he had been ordered to patrol the dungeon nonstop. With so many Waddle Dee guards around, it was hard not to feel out of place, especially among the other male Cappies that had been drafted into the army by the dark knight. The Cappies had been put into cells when they weren't out training and they often blamed him for it since he was the one who had told Meta Knight to go in the first place. "As if they didn't join in on the drama too," he muttered under his breath. Who were they to say it was his fault, and his fault alone? Who had thrown the rocks at the three when they had confronted the knight in the first place? These kinds of thoughts blinded him and filled him with pure rage and he didn't notice his sister running towards him. "Bun! I need to talk to you about something, it's urgent!" Fumu exclaimed.

"Eh… what do you want, sis?"

"It's about you-know-who. Get over here and if anyone asks, just say Whispy was half-expecting the new king to drop by." She pulled him over to the side and began telling him what was up.

"Look, I need you to come with me to Whispy Woods. Meta Knight won't come back here to fight the king until he's sure the two of us actually want him to. Besides, what you said earlier was an order to him and he physically cannot come back until you say that you didn't mean it!"

"Geez, sis, you know I can't leave this place… There are so many guards _and_ they document who goes where and when!"

"If we hurry, yes, you can. Drop that armor and let's go! The longer we wait, the further into his plan Dark Meta Knight gets! Don't you know he's trying to take over all of Pupupuland?"

"Alright, alright, let's go. I'll just tell 'em something didn't agree with me at lunch earlier. I'll be back soon." Bun ran off towards the leading guard and Fumu could see them conversing for a while. Then he disappeared from sight, and when he returned, he had left his armor and sword he had been carrying.

"I've bought us an hour at most. Hurry!"


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry I haven't been updating... Writer's block plus school is a horrifying combination to behold. And math has a project so there's that. Screw my life.**

 **-.-**

 **MrEpic382FF: He's a toddler and if you've ever lived with one for more than a year, you know how they throw tantrums over the most insignificant of things. Refuse to buy them a toy? Tantrum. Do anything other than what they want? _Major_ tantrum. Thanks for the positive uplifting in terms of the length of these though!**

* * *

Bun traipsed the halls of the dungeon for the umpteenth time and sighed as he stretched his aching legs. Ever since Dark Meta Knight had been in power, he had been ordered to patrol the dungeon nonstop. With so many Waddle Dee guards around, it was hard not to feel out of place, especially among the other male Cappies that had been drafted into the army by the dark knight. The Cappies had been put into cells when they weren't out training and they often blamed him for it, since he was the one who had told Meta Knight to go in the first place. "As if they didn't join in on the drama too," he muttered under his breath. Who were they to say it was his fault, and his fault alone? Who had thrown the rocks at the three when they had confronted the knight in the first place? These kinds of thoughts blinded him and filled him with pure rage and he didn't notice his sister running towards him. "Bun! I need to talk to you about something, it's urgent!" Fumu exclaimed.

"Eh… what do you want, sis?"

"It's about you-know-who. Get over here and if anyone asks, just say Whispy was half-expecting the new king to drop by." She pulled him over to the side and began telling him what was up.

"Look, I need you to come with me to Whispy Woods. Meta Knight won't come back here to fight the king until he's sure the two of us actually want him to. Besides, what you said earlier was an order to him and he physically cannot come back until you say that you didn't mean it!"

"Geez, sis, you know I can't leave this place… There are so many guards _and_ they document who goes where and when!"

"If we hurry, yes, you can. Drop that armor and let's go! The longer we wait, the further into his plan Dark Meta Knight gets! Don't you know he's trying to take over all of Pupupuland?"

"Alright, alright, let's go. I'll just tell 'em I'm hungry. I'll be back soon." Bun ran off towards the leading guard and Fumu could see them conversing for a while. Then he disappeared from sight, and when he returned, he had left his armor and sword he had been carrying.

"I've bought us an hour at most. Hurry!"

Kirby giggled as he sat on top of his mentor's head. Though round like him and often not wanting to be climbed on, Meta Knight was an amazing thing to climb every once in a while, especially when he didn't have any armor. It was a challenge when it came to climbing something that didn't have anything to hold on to. Blade chuckled and lifted the pink puff off the knight's head, much to the said puff's dismay. The child wriggled out of the grip he was being held in and scrambled to the top of the elder Star Warrior once more. Then an idea came to his head and he slid off Meta Knight to dig through the pile of armor the blue puff had left behind. Once Kirby found the knight's mask, he clipped it on and climbed right back onto his mentor with an unseen smile. "Kirby, don't play with that…" The knight tried to reach up and pull his mask away from the pink puffball, but the child hit his mentor's hands away with a mock growl, trying to be protective of it like he had seen the Star Warrior do before.

"He looks up to you quite a lot, sir," Blade noted with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Don't you try to keep anyone from touching your mask?"

"Nova help me… what did I do to deserve a child sitting on my head with my most prized possession?"

"Lighten up, sir, he just wants to have fun and look like you for a change. Kirby really likes you."

"I am very much aware he likes me… what he's doing right now is an obvious sign, is it not? Honestly, he cares for me too much in my opinion."

"That's your opinion, sir. Kirby doesn't seem to think like that."

"Poyo be Meta!" Meta Knight sighed. Kirby wasn't going to let go of him anytime soon, and he didn't want to lay waste to the tent trying. Blade finally burst out laughing and she lifted the pink puff from the knight's head.

"Just like a tiny Meta Knight, aren't you? You're so cute! Come on, let's put all of the armor on you!"

"Poyo!" Watching his knave play with the child, the blue puff relaxed and leaned against the wall of the tent. Then, feeling like the tent was terribly empty, the knight realized that he hadn't seen Sword or Fumu for a while. Wondering where they possibly could've gone, the Star Warrior carefully slipped out of the flaps of the tent.

.

"Your report, Propeller. Please tell me someone out there has been doing good," Dark Meta Knight commanded, shutting the program he had been watching off. As much as he hated the castle and its drabby colors, the TV programs he could watch were hilarious and could often put him in high spirits. But the answer he got ruined them completely.

"As useless as ever, Your Majesty… I've seen little if any, improvement from these idiotic Cappies," Propeller Dee sighed. "Marching's improved a little, but any fighting ability they have is absolutely terrible."

"Do they look like they can be taught?"

"A little, but as I said, their ability with a sword is probably the worst in the galaxy. Forgive me for saying this, Great King, but I think it was a mistake drafting such placid creatures into an army."

"Forgiven. Perhaps this place _was_ just a little too easy to be taken over. It doesn't prove much worth at all. A busted economy, terrible leadership, and no real army besides the Waddle Dees. I'm truly sorry if I offend you, Dee, but your kind are not the best fighters out there."

"It's true. At least their battle skills are tenfold of the Cappies." Dark laughed and heartily pet Propeller Dee on the head. In his mind, though, he was grumbling about the Cappies' incompetence when it came to their ability to do battle. He had watched some of their training sessions (they had done five training sessions since he had come into power), and the lack of military skills had both puzzled and enraged him. How was he supposed to take over Popstar with _that_ pathetic excuse for an army?

"Train them harder," the black knight finally ordered. "I want them training day and night, from sunup to sundown. Of course, you can rest and let Waddle Doo take over whenever you wish."

"I don't know… they could protest if we train them harder and they could overthrow you if we teach them battle skills," Dee nervously replied. The king thought about it a little, then snapped his fingers.

"Give them a lunch break at noon, but don't make it too long. Actually, cut it off whenever you want. Make it… perhaps 10 to 20 minutes."

"What will we feed them? Dungeon food?"

"Have that chef boy in the town come over and serve them. Dungeon food is too valued as compost to be wasted on these people."

"I'm pretty sure they think it's slop, sire. I've seen a few of them refuse to touch it when we give it to them, but they never learn that we take the unused food and use it as compost. So they look away for a while and boom! Food's gone. Some of them haven't eaten for days on end."

"Good. But as much as I despise them, they need variety, though from what I've heard, Chef… uh… Kawasaki, I think, doesn't have the best choice of food."

"It's better than nothing, sire. Are you going to pay him?"

"Maybe. For now, just go and call the chef boy here, then resume training. I'll come out there in a few moments."

Meta Knight could see Sword sitting near the river, but Fumu was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she had gone back to Pupupu Village. If she had, it was kind of a good thing because of the threat of tears each time she forced his mind to remember the dreadful events that had happened this morning. He shook himself, then headed in a random direction into the forest. The knight loved strolling through the underbrush, though without Galaxia, he couldn't simply slice through tall weeds; the absence of its weight at his side already stood out to him so much. After an agreement his two knaves had made, he was no longer allowed to carry his sword anywhere unless someone was watching his every action, and that in itself felt a lot like stalking. So he just had to make do without his sword- and all of his armor, which Kirby was still wearing. If anything attacked now, he'd be completely defenseless on the ground, and even in the air, the blue puff doubted he could do much damage. He hated hand-to-hand combat training at the GSA and as soon as it ended, had vowed to forget all of it as quickly as possible. He had never needed it before, and he certainly didn't intend on needing it now. Meta Knight looked around to find his bearings, then spotted his favorite pond and he slowly waded into the water, relaxing against the shoreline. Luckily, it wasn't very deep, meaning he could take a nap while basking in the warm sun, his wings spread out to absorb the full heat. The knight stretched, letting the pondweed tickle his feet and allowing his body to float near the surface. At times like this, he loved sleeping, as he could sleep anywhere, but with the warm sun and cool water, it immediately made him drowsy. He blinked tiredly, shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun with his hand, and yawned. The call of sleep was too tempting to resist now… and as if to tease him, the birds started chirping. Shaking his head, the blue puff relaxed in the water. A nap couldn't possibly hurt, would it? Meta Knight closed his eyes, his hand flopping onto his face, and he dozed off.

.

Fumu ran into the clearing and dragged Bun behind her. The camp was empty, save for the tent with excited squeals coming from inside and Sword sitting on a rock near the river. Blade looked out of the tent and whispered a few things to someone inside. Then Meta Knight walked out, but he was significantly… smaller. She looked on with confusion; the knight wasn't normally pink and had someone shrunk him? "Poyo!" Kirby squealed, pushing the mask up and revealing his tiny face.

"Kirby?! Wait, if that's you, where's the actual Meta Knight?" Fumu asked. "I just got Bun here and he has to be back in an hour!"

"I actually haven't seen him since I started playing with Kirby," Blade replied, popping her head out of the tent.

"He left the tent earlier," Sword mentioned. "I didn't see which direction he was headed to, though."

"It's going to be dark in a few hours… what was he thinking? This place is dangerous at night and the only place he should be is here at the camp!" Fumu exclaimed.

"Let's go find him. If the only way we can get him back is to look for him, sis, I'm in!"

"I thought you had to go back to the castle."

"I told the guards I was heading out for a late lunch break. They were lenient and told me to take as long as I want. I just have to be back by 8. We can probably find Meta Knight and take the order back before then."

"Okay then! Kirby, stay here and guard the camp. We need you to watch over the food and everything that your mentor brought with him. We wouldn't want any of it getting stolen, would we?"

"No poyo!"

"Then stay here. We're going out to look for him right now." The pink puff perked up and ducked inside the tent for a moment, bringing out an armful of flashlights. He presented them with a happy squeal and grinned when Blade pet him.

"Good boy, Kirby… Wish us luck!" Sword, Blade, Fumu, and Bun each took a flashlight and scattered into the forest. The child stood in the shade of Whispy, still fully clothed in the knight's armor, and slowly shook the sentient tree. Minutes later, he was sitting on the ground amidst a pile of apples, stuffing the fruit into his mouth.

The room Propeller Dee had been given was large and had an amazing view. Dark Meta Knight really hadn't been kidding when he said he liked him. From the window, he could watch the Cappies train, which they were currently doing with Waddle Doo and some spear-wielding Waddle Dees. Though Propeller had to admit that the view was amazing, the bed really was the best. Soft, warm, and right next to the window where he could see the stars shining down on his face if he so wished. He wasn't tired yet, however, so he . Dee caught Waddle Doo's eye and he tilted his head inquisitively. From the disappointed expression on the other's face, he could tell that the Cappies in question were not doing very well. Growling, Propeller Dee made his way to the tiny bathroom that his king had provided just for him and started a bubble bath. All Dees loved bubble baths in general as part of their genetics, but Propeller loved floral scents- something most Waddle Dees couldn't enjoy properly. Dedede hadn't allowed his servants to take bubble baths during the day and most times, even during the night. Still, he secretly kept bottles of floral bubbles inside a room in the former Dee's quarters; all the others did as well, and now that the Dees were much better treated, they had been given the permission to indulge in bubbles as long as they took turns. Propeller held a bottle in each hand- rose or lavender? After a few moments of indecision, he poured them both in and after removing his hat, slowly stepped inside. Maybe life with Dark as the king wasn't too bad after all…


	6. Chapter 6

**I haven't updated this in a while, so sorry about that! In the meantime, I posted a short drabble yesterday and started an Archive of Our Own under the same username. I'll be posting stuff on there as well. Until the next chapter or fiction, enjoy and please review!**

* * *

It was pitch-black when Meta Knight woke. Then he remembered that his hand had been on his face to shield him from the sun and he lifted it off only to find the same effect on the world around him. The knight waved his hand in front of his face and looked up. The moon was shining brightly in the sky, indicating that he had slept for most of the day. No matter. He could find his way back to the camp by himself. The Star Warrior began walking, using his own sense of direction and the little glow his silver eyes gave off to help guide him through the forest. But when he fell right back into a pool of water after no more than a few minutes, he knew he'd never be able to find his own way back and had walked completely in a circle. The blue puff dragged himself out and under the shelter of a tree; the nights were already getting chilly and he curled into a ball on the ground. He was wind-chilled, soaked through, lost in a wood he loved traipsing, and he just wanted to go home. A sob escaped him as his wings flared over his body to keep him warm; he'd be lost for the whole night, stuck where he was, helpless and alone. He only hoped nothing found out he was here or attacked him. Then a beam of light illuminated the pond in front of him and he heard a familiar voice. "Sir? Sir! Sir Meta Knight, where are you?!"

"Blade? Are you there, is that you? Please, I'm over here!" The light moved from the pond to shining full force on him, and the blue puffball covered his face with his hands until he was picked up.

"I'm so glad I finally found you, sir! You know you shouldn't be out here, you had all of us so worried!" she playfully chided. Then she noticed how the knight was wet and shaking in her arms. "You weren't sleeping in your pond again, were you?"

"I may have been…" The blue puff snuggled closer and noted just how warm her armor was. Maybe it was from running around, maybe it was adrenaline, but he didn't care much. All that mattered was that there was someone to help him get safe, dry, and back where he belonged. Then he felt his foot skim the ground and he opened his eyes abruptly. He scrambled to hang onto his knave and she stopped, bringing her arms back up.

"Don't want to walk?"

"You can carry me if you'd like to… besides, I might get lost again if I walk…"

"Nonsense. Unless you covered your eyes and walked in a random direction, you couldn't lose my flashlight beam if you tried, sir. Even then, you'd probably walk right into me."

"Please just carry me… I'm tired."

"Says the one who just took a nap in the forest for hours while everyone else was worried sick about you. The least you can do is walk back on your own two feet."

"You've left me with no choice… I _command_ you to carry me back to camp or Sword gets extra rations for a week after all this is over."

"For Nova's sake, fine, I'll do it. I'll carry you back, but if they see you in my arms and start laughing, you better not complain."

.

Fumu raced into the clearing, breathing hard. She hadn't managed to find Meta Knight anywhere. Now, she yearned to see any sign of the blue puff and desperately wished that she hadn't driven him away, that she hadn't comforted him instead and helped him work through his pain. As the others came into sight, she saw with despair that neither Bun nor Sword had found him and the Star Warrior hadn't returned to the camp by himself. Even Kirby was catching onto the general mood, and Fumu could sometimes see him peeking out of the tent, still fully-clad in the knight's armor, searching for any sign of his beloved mentor. Voices filtered through the forest and everyone perked up; could it be..?

"Sir, please don't fall asleep. We're almost there, wake up!" Blade reprimanded. She strolled into the clearing, her flashlight in one hand and Meta Knight nestled into the other arm. He yawned sleepily, rubbing his eyes with both hands.

"I am not an incessant child… you do not need to tell me to wake up," the knight grumbled, pushing himself into a more presentable position. "Though perhaps it was necessary…"

"You're safe! Now Bun can hurry up and do it before he gets the two of us in trouble," Fumu quickly exclaimed.

"So how do I do it anyway?" Bun asked. Sword began whispering into the boy's ear and he nodded repeatedly. They pulled away and Bun steeled himself, facing the blue puff and trying to keep from bursting with laughter. The Star Warrior was still nestled in the crook of Blade's arm and he looked drowsy, giving a childish look to his face.

"With the power of Nova bestowed upon me, I rescind my order. You are free to do what you wish." Meta Knight yawned and nodded, showing that he acknowledged what Bun had said before snuggling back into the warmth of his knave's armor. Fumu grabbed her brother by the arm and began dragging him back to the castle.

"Look at the time! Bun, we need to get you back before you get in trouble!" The two made for the bridge leading back to Pupupuland, leaving everyone else behind.

"I guess we'll be going on too, sir. You know where to find us if you want to, now that you're allowed to." Sword, Blade, and Kirby began following Fumu and Bun back to the castle and its village. They had gone no further than a few steps when the knight finally made up his mind.

"W-wait! Do you think… you could stay here for the night? You know, I might try it again… and, um… the tent seems too big for just me…"

"We get it, sir. You'll be lonely without us here to keep you company," Blade chuckled.

"You know me too well…"

"It's our job to. Besides, no one here wants to know that you've committed suicide. Pile in the tent, everyone!" Kirby bounced in, claiming a corner of it for himself, and patted a spot beside him for his mentor. When the blue puff tried settling in another corner, the child grabbed the Star Warrior's arm and dragged him over. Sword and Blade took guard near the entrance and found a comfortable position before zipping their shelter closed. They blew out a lantern, dropping the tent into darkness, and scuffles could be heard as they lay down.

"Goodnight, sir. Don't wake up too early tomorrow, or you'll wake us all," Sword joked. Meta Knight let out a stifled laugh as he turned towards the ceiling of the tent. Before long, everyone was asleep, but the knight stayed awake as he looked at the stars through the transparent roof. Kirby wrapped his paws around his mentor and squeezed him in his sleep, nuzzling against the older warrior. The blue puffball knew it was likely pointless to try releasing himself from the child's grip; first, it would wake everyone, considering how tightly they were packed in, and second, once Kirby got a hold of anything in his sleep, he wasn't likely to let go. It was nice to have their warmth surrounding him, as if its presence was a friend nearby. The knight's eyes slid shut and he slept, the energy of his nap worn out long ago.

.

"Come on, get up! Your training does not stop at this time!" Dark Meta Knight shouted. "You still have two more hours until your bedtime, and after that, it's up at 6 in the morning! So get up, you lazy slouchers, and run!" He sighed as the Cappies scrambled to their feet and began tiredly running. Propeller Dee had been right; these creatures would never get anywhere with army training. They were simply too placid to try fighting, for even though he had supplied them with the lightest swords he could possibly find, they had trouble lifting and holding the weapons correctly. If they couldn't even lift a simple shortsword, how could they be expected to wield the much heavier broadsword needed for battle or the longbow for distanced fighting? Obviously, no one had taught these Cappies a thing about proper sword etiquette or stances. The only person Dark believed to be a good swordsman happened to be his counterpart, and he was off in the forest doing Nova knows what. Even then, the black knight was sure that his blue friend couldn't compete with him. Meta Knight most definitely didn't have any mirror magic or techniques where he could shoot multiple copies of his sword. No one could challenge his leadership now; the former penguin king and his lackey were both locked away where they belonged, right next to their pathetic excuse of citizens. He snapped his attention back to the Cappies, where the first of them were just completing their lap around the castle. The fastest of them were pulled aside and marked, but many of them were walking, exhausted from their constant training and exercise.

"Hurry up, you loafers! If there's anything that I can agree on with Meta Knight, it's that you're the laziest beings I've ever met! No wonder he tried using the Halberd against you!" Dark yelled. "That's it! I'm chasing after you and if I catch you, no rations after this!" The black knight took off with his wings, flapping furiously after the Cappies. Some at the back of the line began jogging a little faster, while others stayed at the same pace, not caring whether or not they received their dinner. Those he tagged immediately stopped, panting and trying to catch their breath. Others dashed faster as they saw him rounding the corner; their efforts to outrun him were futile. Every Cappy was eventually captured and those that he hadn't had the time to catch were with the Waddle Dees.

"Dees, take the ones you have in for the night and give them double rations. The rest of you are staying out here until the specified end time!" Dark commanded. The Dees hurried off with their quarry and the black knight glared down the others, who had already gathered near him.

"Now it's your turn. Do not try to resist, for it will be futile."

* * *

Fumu really hoped Meta Knight would fight for them, despite what she had said to him earlier in the day. Then again, maybe that hope was a little far-fetched; the knight was known for never abandoning the village when they needed him. Time and time again, the blue puff had saved the village and her from multiple demonbeasts, not counting the time he had sacrificed himself to fight Wolfwrath and save Kirby. It was always with the thought that he could rid the galaxy of these horrid creations, but this… Dark Meta Knight didn't seem to be a creation of Nightmare at all. He was an exact rendition of his blue counterpart, with every trait of his reversed. Where Meta Knight was kind and cautious, Dark was brutally dominant and ambitious, not letting anything or anyone get in his way. Fumu often saw this during the Cappies' training sessions, and the only people the black knight was kind to were the Waddle Dees. But in the books, she had read that those were the qualities of a good leader, and she was painfully aware of the fact that Pupupuland needed a better king. Dedede hadn't done anything to the village except for cause trouble and make outlandish laws. If the penguin had a plan for bettering Pupupuland, which he probably didn't, the plan would likely be for everyone to worship him and cater to his needs. At least now, there was a plan for the country. Dark had proposed an army to protect them so they wouldn't have to depend on Kirby that much, but he had taken the majority of the population, leaving the economy in shambles. With no government and no money coming in, how did the puffball king hope to run the country?

.

Dedede slumped against the wall, his fists red from his attempts to break out. His hammer had been taken away before being roughly thrown into the cell and now, he was tired of trying to obtain freedom. The bars hadn't shown any sign of bending or breaking yet. "Hey Escargon, I'm bored," he whined. "You wouldn't happen to have anything on you to play with, would you?

"Of course I don't, your Majesty. They didn't let us bring anything in here and you know that," the snail sighed. "Now don't you go bashing me up! I'm hardly a plaything."

"But Escargon, I'm bored and my hands hurt. Can't you do anything to get us out? Make yourself useful for once, ingrate!"

"Sire, you know I can't. There's nothing I can do to break out if you can't either. There's nothing around to use as a ram anyways."

"Why don't we use your shell? It must be pretty tough if ya wear it around all day and I haven't seen under there yet~"

"No way, your Majesty! You've been trying to see what's under there for months now, and nothing's worked! Give it up already!"

"Now that I think about it, your shell would make a perfect battering ram. A nice swing would probably break us outta here!"

"You must be kidding! Majesty, you can't use my shell to break out unless you get me a new one, and that's about as likely to happen as you donating money to the villagers!"

"Come on, Escargon. It's a small sacrifice for the greater good! Would you rather break your shell and be free or keep the shell and stay in here?"

"Um… I'd rather get out, but I don't want you using my shell! Why don't we use your tough head instead- ow!" Dedede's hand slammed down on Escargon and he faced the bars again.

"Well, if that ain't gonna work… Yo, Waddle Dees! Fetch me some grub!"

.

The next morning, a harsh light shone down on Meta Knight's face. At first, he thought that it had all been a dream and he was still under the tree; Blade had only found him now. But when he opened his eyes, the knight found that the tent was devoid of people and the sun had filtered through the leaves to wake him up. For once, none of his usual nightmares had popped up to torture him in his sleep and because of that, all he wanted to do was sink back into sleep. The blue puff found the warm sun relaxing as he stretched and yawned, but then his stomach grumbled, reminding him of his hunger. He hadn't had anything to eat since Kirby shared his chocolate bar with him, and even that had been a small amount. Right then, he could've eaten all of the fruit in the forest and still be hungry. He stood up and peeked outside, his puffball instincts wondering what was for breakfast. The pink puff noticed Meta Knight looking out and he grinned, holding apples in both his paws. "Come have bweakfast, Meta poy!" Kirby shouted. The knight tried to tell himself that he wasn't that hungry, but he gave in eventually and approached the others. He instinctively drooled at the sight of the fruit, though he was quick to wipe it off.

"I thought you said I couldn't wake up without waking everyone else," the blue puff said with a smirk. "And now here you all are, somehow managing it without my noticing. However did you do it?"

"Easy, sir. You were so deeply asleep that we didn't have to worry about waking you," Blade laughed. "You really were exhausted."

"I suppose I was… but you helped contribute to my sleepiness by making me feel so comfortable."

"Nonsense, sir. Now hurry up and eat your fruit before Kirby swallows it all. You need it, considering the last thing you ate was a piece of a chocolate bar." Meta Knight accepted the apple that the pink puff gave him and hungrily munched on it, savoring the sweet juice. Kirby grinned at him and kept offering his mentor various fruits until the knight insisted that he eat the rest.

"What's wrong, sir? Normally, you love fruit," Sword asked.

"Nothing's wrong," the winged puff replied, licking juice off his cheek. "I just don't want to get outmatched by my counterpart today when I fight him."

"You're really going to do it, sir? After everything the Cappies have done to you, you'll fight for them?"

"Not them. I'm doing it for Kirby. He deserves a home and true friends. I realize I mean a lot to him, but he needs more than just me." The said puffball ran up to Meta Knight and clung onto him, refusing to let him go.

"Kaabii don't want Meta be hurt by bad guy!" The knight reached down and slowly pried Kirby off of him, stroking the child's head all the way.

"I'll be fine, Kirby. Or at least, I hope…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Really no excuse. Me being really lazy.**

* * *

Propeller Dee was sitting on the carpet when Dark walked in. The small Dee had been polishing a spare set of the black knight's armor, having nothing else to do, and he innocently looked up when the king opened the door. "Hello, your Majesty!" Propeller chirped. "Done with morning training already?"

"Yes, I am done. Those cursed Cappies couldn't be taught how to use a sword if it slapped them in the face."

"That doesn't make any sense, Great King."

"It's not supposed to. Weird proverbs from the Mirror World never make sense anywhere else. Only Mirror-Worlders are supposed to understand it. What are you polishing my armor for?"

"Was I not supposed to? I was bored in my room and Waddle Doo told me that he could take care of the training today…"

"Good enough. Helps to have something in case Meta Knight decides to get any ideas about coming back and fighting me."

"You're a good king! I don't want you to… do Mirror-Worlders die?"

"We don't die. We shatter, and the only time we die is if our counterpart dies first. So technically, I could come back. Or you could pay me a visit once I've reformed into my usual self. I know where the mirror is."

"That'd be great, Your Majesty! What's the Mirror-World like?"

"You've got to be really careful in some parts of it. My castle is nice though. Not nearly as bright and colorful as here, and frankly, I'm fine with that. All these colors hurt my eyes. And I don't have any Dees there, and definitely not any as good as you." Dark Meta Knight pet Propeller Dee on the head, which rewarded the dark knight with a giggle.

"The other Meta Knight won't be able to beat you once I'm done with this armor! It's gonna be shiny and pretty and all the sunlight's going to bounce off it, and then… and then, you're going to kick his ass!" Dark seemed quite startled at the small Dee's use of the word "ass" but chuckled and pet him even more.

"So you know how to curse. It's quite cute, honestly."

.

"Sir, the scar… you can't fight like that! What use is it if you fight and that guy kills you?" Blade fretted. "You already know you can't die on us now!"

"He's not going to kill me. While he may be a mirror of myself with some added skills, I will prove that I can beat him- no matter what the cost," Meta Knight replied, slipping into his armor. "Besides, it is a challenge, and one of the things you should know is that I adore a challenge." As soon as the knight's wings merged into his cape, Kirby began tugging on it, begging his mentor not to go. The pink puff had had dreams of a silver sword plunging into dark blue water, and they had troubled him deeply. But when he told Sword and Blade about it, the two knaves had shrugged it off, saying that it was probably the aftermath of seeing the blue puff stab himself in an attempt to end his life. Kirby, of course, knew differently.

Galaxia was always golden and shining with light, but the Galaxia from his dreams was silver and emanated waves of darkness. Maybe it was the evil knight's sword, and since he was supposed to be the opposite of his Meta Knight, Kirby thought, it would make sense if it was. Then Kirby realized that this meant bad news for his mentor. The evil knight acting as king now wouldn't have any code of honor to go by and would have no qualms about killing his Pupupuland counterpart. Kirby shook his head; he would _not_ let this terrible puffball murder his mentor in cold blood! The child approached Meta Knight and gently tugged on his cape again, sparking a glance of annoyance from him.

"Kirby, what is it you want?" The knight questioned, clearly displeased.

"Kaabii weawized that when Meta Kni go fight, bad kni no have any honor code. Bad kni might kill you," the pink puff explained in his limited language.

"I never realized that. You're saying that this puff is the complete opposite of me, and this means he has no code of honor… he will have no regrets about killing me… and that is all the reason to stop him now."

* * *

Fumu was absolutely shocked when she saw Meta Knight, Sword, Blade, and Kirby strolling down the empty streets. She hadn't been expecting him to come this early, or at all. With the amount of emotional distress the puff had shown, she would've been less surprised had he decided to stay in the forest. The knight was clearly confused by the lack of Cappies in the town, but he shook it off as unimportant. He drew Galaxia and quickly looked around for his mirror counterpart. When nothing showed, his wings appeared and bent against his back. She watched silently as he and the rest of the group advanced towards the town center, where the giant tree loomed under a bright, cloudless sky. Dark Meta was in the castle though, and he wouldn't know that the real Meta Knight had come seeking revenge. The silence in the streets now stood out more than ever before; to her, it was eerie and stifling.

Some of the leftover women ducked behind their doors and windows, terrified of the banished swordsman. Fumu wanted to tell them that they didn't have anything to fear from him, but the silence demanded its presence and her throat clenched up, rendering her unable to speak. Then a familiar roar did away with the silence, and Meta Knight's counterpart skidded into the road. Dedede's tank had been remodeled, with a fresh paint job and some new additions. She stumbled when the burst of wind from the tank blew her over, and when she got up, the two knights were glaring each other down. "You!" Dark Meta shouted. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"I could say the same thing for you," Meta Knight curtly riposted. "Your earlier statement was correct: _you_ aren't supposed to be here."

"S-shut up! I'm the new king here, and you're nothing but a lowly outcast! I banished you!"

"You're the one who'll be an outcast once news of this escapes. It is safe to say that either I or the citizens will give you the same treatment."

"You think you're so smart? Bet you can't beat me in a duel!"

"I could beat you like an egg. You don't stand a chance."

"Why, you..!" The black knight pulled out his sword and brandished it at the blue puff. "I challenge you to a duel! Just watch me beat you! I've got skills you don't know!"

"Do you really? Prove it."

.

The two faced each other on opposite sides of the street. Their swords were already out and pointed at their opponent. Ominous silence returned, and Fumu was holding Kirby back from the battlefield as she watched along with Sword and Blade. A lone breeze blew, ruffling her hair and blowing into the knights' capes. Then, all of a sudden, a war cry shattered the silence, and Dark Meta Knight charged towards his adversary. Meta Knight jumped, and the dark knight's sword lodged in a tree. The blue knight gently landed on the edge of shadow Galaxia and used his feet to drive the sword down until the other edge touched the ground. While Dark was struggling to pull his sword from its wooden prison, his opponent slashed and cut him. Kirby would've cheered if Fumu hadn't covered his mouth; the knights needed to be undisturbed during this battle. Finally, the dark knight pulled shadow Galaxia out of the tree and fired off three silver sword beams in the direction of his foe. The blue puff swiftly dodged all of them and left them to dissipate into thin air.

When he turned back, his doppelganger was plunging his sword down; Meta Knight barely dodged it, but it caught a corner of his wing, drawing blood and drawing a pained hiss from him. Both froze and sized the other up silently, golden eyes scanning their enemy. Fumu anxiously looked back and forth between the two, and so far, their Meta Knight seemed to be winning. The fake one from another dimension was covered in tiny cracks- not to mention the fact that he was panting quite heavily. Then Dark thrust his sword up and three copies of his sword burst out from mirrors in the ground, just like the attack he had done the day before. The blue knight leapt back with a flap of his wings and shot out a golden sword beam of his own. This one flew straight towards the mirror knight and shattered his arm.

* * *

Fumu stared in disbelief. Dark Meta Knight just… shattered?! The dark knight was audibly growling at Meta Knight, his left arm millions of shards on the ground. Then the shards swept into one pile and reformed into the shape of an arm before attaching onto the black puff. The blue knight looked perplexed, but held his sword behind him, gathering energy at the tip. Once the dark puff came close enough, he spun around in a slash, sending shards flying. Dark Meta rushed towards his opponent, and Fumu sighed once she realized that he was too far to possibly catch Meta Knight with his sword. Once the rush ended, however, three swords shot out of mirrors that appeared out of nowhere, cutting into the blue knight's arm despite his best attempts to block the attack.

Then she groaned, remembering the dark knight's ability to have swords shoot out of nowhere. The shards from the blue puff's spin slash piled up and reformed again, forming the missing part and reattaching itself. Once he did, he saw the blue knight's rush towards him, and he hid inside a mirror, causing the energy wave from Meta Knight's attack to morph into a shadowy energy ball that chased after him. Once the Star Warrior had knocked the shadow energy away, he was too late to parry Dark Meta's slicing cut. Fumu watched as the dark knight slowly became more and more aggressive, and Meta Knight was forced to stay on the defensive instead of attacking. Kirby squealed in fear when one of the dark knight's spin attacks battered his mentor; he really, really hoped that the blue knight would come back to him alive, just like he always did, before engulfing him in a hug and telling him that everything was alright.

But the pink puff could only watch as Dark Meta Knight pinned the real one against a tree before he leapt up and tried to impale him. Meta Knight rolled out of the way just as shadow Galaxia hit the ground, causing a small hole in the grass. Fumu grabbed Kirby and squeezed him tight against her body, partly to keep him from interfering and partly because she was so anxious about the blue warrior dying from this battle. He couldn't die, not now. Meta Knight was too important to her for him to die now. Then the sound of a flying sword drew both their attention, and they watched as shadow Galaxia flew towards the blue puff. Kirby cried out, but grinned widely as his mentor jumped to the side, letting the silver sword pass by him and whirl around back to Dark Meta. Then Meta Knight turned sharply and hurled his own sword at his doppleganger.

.

The golden blade whizzed through the air before soundly impaling itself in Dark Meta Knight, forming a web of cracks around the impact site. The black knight immediately sank to the ground, the cracks spreading through his body, and he found just enough energy to pull out Galaxia and feebly toss it in front of him. Meta Knight warily approached, grabbed his sword, and sheathed it before turning his back to his doppleganger. Fumu gasped as the blue knight began to walk away; the dark knight was aiming at him from where he lay! "Meta Knight! Watch out!" she shouted, hoping it would catch his attention.

The Star Warrior whirled around and attempted to jump to the side, but shadow Galaxia caught him on the right side, going through his body. "You may have shattered me," Dark cackled, "but you'll not have the last laugh. Have fun!" He and his sword shattered completely and Meta Knight collapsed on the stone, his blood staining the road. Kirby darted to Sword and Blade, informing them of what had happened. The two knaves applied pressure to his wound before picking him up and carrying him to the clinic, Kirby in short pursuit. Fumu only stood there, tears falling for her gravely injured friend.

* * *

The knight had been quickly admitted, and he was now lying on the hospital bed. Dr. Yabui had already stitched the wound and it was now wrapped tightly with bandages, the embedded shards of shadow Galaxia having already been taken out. Kirby was asleep on the bed next to his mentor, not once leaving his side, and in his sleep, nuzzled against the blue puff. Sword and Blade sat in chairs wordlessly, observing their lord. Meta Knight didn't have any armor on to make sure that it didn't rub against his injuries, and he had an oxygen mask to make sure that he could still breathe. A machine next to the bed kept track of the puff's steady heartbeat through wires attached on his chest, and an IV needle had been inserted into his left hand. The doctor came in and shuffled some papers in his arms, drawing Sword and Blade's attention. "How is he?" Sword quietly asked.

"Paralyzed," Dr. Yabui said, "and will be for about two months. The muscle that controls the right arm and side was damaged, and he'll slowly regain movement. But you must make sure he doesn't push himself, especially as the muscle is recovering."

"How does muscle damage cause paralysis?"

"I've been studying puffballs since the whole battle with Nightmare. They have very few muscles, but they control a large part of the body. If even slight damage is done, paralysis can set in. The angle at which Meta Knight was stabbed meant that damage was done to his right muscle and a nerve responsible for keeping consciousness in puffballs, but narrowly missed his heart."

"How bad was the damage to the nerve? Will he be out for very long?"

"Perhaps 8 to 10 hours. It shouldn't be any longer than that, since the damage to the nerve wasn't too severe. He should be up around the middle of the night, but I wouldn't bet on it." Sword and Blade nodded, and the doctor took it as his cue to leave. He could see the pain this was causing them, not to mention the exhaustion from whatever had happened earlier. But just as he was going out, Fumu was coming in, tears in her eyes. Dr. Yabui shook his head and headed towards his office, and unknowingly, a tear formed in his eye as well.

.

Kirby had nuzzled against the knight in his sleep, and when he was shaken awake, he had immediately lifted his mentor's wing off him and jumped off. He didn't want to hurt Meta Knight any more than necessary, even if all he wanted to do was stay by his side until he woke up. Sword and Blade had another bed brought in for him to sleep on, since, being a child, he wasn't expected to sleep on the floor or on a chair. The two had also forbidden Kirby from falling asleep on his teacher's bed in fear that he would possibly hurt the knight. It was this that caused the pink puff to stare at Meta Knight from across the room and silently watch the knight sleeping. He continued this until the sun was low in the sky, and he didn't notice Fumu coming up behind him.

"Kirby, you've been watching Meta Knight for hours now," she said sympathetically. "I know you're worried about him, and I am too. But you can't keep going like this. At least have some dinner." Kirby took the tray and began eating, though he was still glancing at Meta Knight from time to time. Fumu saw that he wasn't really excited about the food like usual, and he wasn't inhaling it at all. Instead, the child was using the provided utensils and was slowly spooning the rice into his mouth. Kirby stopped eating for a moment, thought for a while, and floated over to the knight's bed with the tray of food in his hand. Fumu watched what the pink puffball was doing, and almost panicked when he tried to feed the elder puff.

"Kirby, no, you can't feed him. He'll choke," she said, trying to keep her gasps from showing. "He's already getting food and water from this tube right here." She pointed to the IV and traced it to his hand, which Kirby poked, hoping for a response. The puff was slightly disappointed when it didn't move, but he ignored it.

"You can finish your dinner without bothering him. Come on." Fumu picked up the child again and carried him back to the bed he had been on before, careful not to let the food spill. But she still saw the same trace of sadness in his eyes and realized that she couldn't do anything to change it.


	8. Chapter 8

_Late night:_

Meta Knight awoke to find a moonbeam shining brightly on his face and his right arm completely paralyzed. With the help of the bed rail and his other arm, he drew himself up to observe his surroundings. He was clearly in a hospital room, and Sword and Blade were asleep on the chairs near him. Fumu was nowhere to be seen (thank Nova for that), but maybe he just couldn't see her with the dim moonlight streaming in through the window. Kirby was asleep on another bed that was similar to his, and he seemed very peacefully asleep. He blushed when he realized that he didn't have any armor on, and when he reached towards his face, he felt the hard plastic of an oxygen mask.

Galaxia caught the moonlight and gave off a golden glow from where she lay on the sidetable, a vase of orchids beside her. He looked around and decided to test whether or not Dark had done any damage to anything else. He stood up and glanced out the window, then picked up Galaxia with his left arm. The golden sword gave off a small electrical pulse from being awakened, then brightened once it realized that Meta Knight was awake and beautifully alive. The shock surprised the warrior even though he'd gotten used to the sword's electricity over the years of wielding her. _Oh, Meta Knight! You're okay!_

 _Since when have I never been?_

 _I was so afraid when Dark stabbed you, dear heart. I couldn't do anything and I was so anxious for you._

 _I'm okay, Galaxia. It's fine. Everything's fine._ The knight brought the sword closer and carefully hugged it, making sure to avoid its edges. Galaxia brightened, bringing a smile to the puff's face.

 _Do you think you'll still be able to wield me after this, Meta Knight? You're quite hurt, and I wouldn't mind if you let Kirby take care of me while you recover._

 _I should be fine. I can still take care of you with my other hand, though not as easily. Wielding you, however, may be a slight problem._ Meta Knight picked up Galaxia with his working arm, noting how awkward it felt, and slashed directly in front of him. Luckily, he didn't hit anything or let go of his sword, and he handed it over to his other hand. The knight tried to hold Galaxia, but ended up dropping it on the bed when he couldn't grip it at all.

 _Don't hurt yourself further for me. I'll be fine, dear heart. Your job right now is to sleep and recover._

 _If you really say so._ Meta Knight sat down on the bed, gazing out the window. He looked out at the mostly dark city and found slight comfort in it.

 _Now, Meta Knight. Sleep. No more sightseeing through the window. It's very late._

 _I'm getting to it, Galaxia. I'll rest as soon as I can figure out how to lie down._ Galaxia broke out in silent laughter, and the knight blushed madly from her laughter. He fell backwards onto his pillow and landed with a quiet grunt of surprise. Meta Knight removed the oxygen mask from his face, feeling that he could breathe just fine on his own, and set it gently beside him. As he felt Galaxia's presence slowly retreat, the knight realized just how tired he felt and he closed his eyes to dream.

.

Kirby had fallen asleep expecting to be taken to a dream full of food and watermelons. Instead, he found himself on the same street battlefield that Meta Knight had been on hours ago. There were no people, no sound, and he felt the same grass under his feet. The two knights were facing each other just like before, and there was no war cry from Dark Meta Knight- just a flick of his hand. The blue puff stepped back cautiously, but then a purple aura surrounded the blue knight and the puff inside struggled to move. The child winced at the elder Star Warrior's indignant cries and his shouts to be set free. Earlier, Kirby had been sure his mentor would win; now, not so much. The dark knight used this moment to rush forward and brutally slash and cut at his opponent. The young puff couldn't believe what was happening and before he knew it, Meta Knight was sprawled on the stone, blood pooling under him.

Kirby yelped every time one of Dark Meta's slashes connected with his mentor, even though he didn't feel any pain, and he started to feel tears in his eyes. The dark knight came up behind his fatally injured counterpart and scowled at him before flying up in the air and firing multiple sword beams. They sliced deeply into the road in a square formation around the hapless puffball, and the dark knight fluttered down in front of him. Fumu's arms felt tighter with each passing moment, and Kirby struggled to get out. At the same time, the black puffball paced around his counterpart. When Meta Knight lifted his head, mask broken and blood dripping off his face, Kirby grimaced at the sight. His mentor would definitely have some scars after this, and all the child wanted to do was nestle up to him and make the knight feel safe. But he could only watch as Dark Meta lifted his sword above the blue knight.

It was here that Kirby was finally released, and the child started running as fast as he could to his mentor. "Say goodbye, Meta Knight!" the black knight cackled gleefully. "I hope you've enjoyed your life!" The pink puffball ran faster, so fast that his feet seemed to skim the ground, hoping to save the blue warrior. Before he could get there, though, the black puff stabbed downwards, impaling the blue knight. Kirby felt his world falling apart as mirror Galaxia was pulled out of Meta Knight's body.

"Metaaa!"

* * *

Kirby awoke with a terrified whimper, his body jolting up. He looked around, taking deep breaths to calm himself, and noted with a relieved sigh that Meta Knight was still sleeping in the bed across from him. The child laid back down but was too afraid of the nightmare he had just witnessed to even have a chance of sleeping again. The young puff clambered out of his bed and quietly began puffing to the top of his mentor's bed, careful not to disturb him. After a few seconds of sadly gazing at the knight, Kirby tucked the sheets around the blue puff and since he was likely unconscious anyway, the child snuggled up against the elder puffball's side.

The young puffball set his head on Meta Knight's body and listened to the steady beating of his heart, calming Kirby's fears that the old Star Warrior would die without his knowing. Against the knight, Kirby could feel the warmth emanating from the other puff's body and he sighed happily, nuzzling against Meta Knight lovingly. The child felt the leather-like membrane of the knight's wing and gently stroked it with his paw. Kirby shifted positions so it was possible for him to be hugging his mentor, and he closed his eyes. Then a soft hand began petting his back and the young puff looked up in alarm to find Meta Knight's silver eyes looking at him. The child saw the stars and moon reflected in the warrior's eyes and he smiled.

"Meta poy…" Kirby sleepily murmured. He rest his head on the blue puff with a relieved sigh and let his mentor continue petting him.

"Shh… Go back to sleep, Kirby… It's okay…" The knight whispered. Meta Knight gently kicked Galaxia away from Kirby so the child wouldn't be cut, and since the young puff seemed to be calming down, gently hugged him.

Kirby had forgotten about the nightmare from before, but now he remembered; he had been so scared that his mentor wouldn't be around to hug him anymore. "Kaabii have nightmare, Meta Kni… Bad Meta kill you…" At this point, the child started silently crying, gripping the blue puff harder. "Kaabii so scared…"

"I'm so sorry if I worried you… but it's okay, I'm here. I destroyed Dark, right? He's not here to hurt anyone anymore." The knight's heart swelled at the sight of his poor puff. The child had obviously been very concerned for him.

"Kaabii loves Meta Kni, poy…" Kirby fell asleep happily, all above the glow of blue eyes. Meta Knight kept patting the child until he was sure that he was asleep. Then he carried Kirby back to his bed, and as soon as the knight got back to his own bed, he joined the young puff in the world of dreams.

.

 _Next morning:_

The next morning, Fumu quickly jumped out of the chair she had slept in the previous night to check whether or not Meta Knight had woken up like the doctor said he would. Her expectations were quickly dashed, however, as she saw there was still no other movement other than his breathing. She sat down next to him, gently caressing his unresponsive hand. The only difference she could see from yesterday was that Galaxia was now by his side instead of on the table like last night, but she paid no mind to it.

As she kept stroking the soft, gloved paw, her hand started quivering and she gulped to keep back tears. To try and stop her tears, she slowly slid off the torn glove and intensely studied the knight's paw. His navy blue paws were exactly the same as Kirby's, but with the addition of a small thumb, likely to hold his sword. It twitched slightly and Fumu slipped the glove back on.

"Not awake yet?" Blade approached his bed and sighed when she saw the blue puff in the same state as he had been before. "Fumu, you know there's really nothing we can do for him. He's alive, and that's all that matters. As long as he wakes in the near future, we'll be fine."

"I suppose so. Still, it makes me feel hopeless." Blade nodded and walked away, leaving Fumu to sit near the warrior and keep stroking his hand. At one time, she thought she heard him purring, but she dismissed it as a sign of her grief and kept on. She continued in this manner, almost falling asleep, before a call jolted her awake.

"Movement has been detected on the security cameras!" Kirby, Bun, and the two knaves were already gathered around the screen with the nurse and Fumu walked over to see.

"It was last night, just around midnight," the nurse exclaimed, rewinding the video. Everyone watched as Meta Knight looked around in confusion and picked up Galaxia. He held it silently, then stood up to swing his sword a few times. He stood there for a while, transferred the sword to his other arm, and dropped it. Fumu found herself smiling as the screen showed the knight sitting down and staring out the window, then removing his oxygen mask and falling back asleep.

The nurse pressed fast-forward, and a few hours later on the video, the group witnessed the winged puff comforting a crying Kirby in his bed. Kirby pointed up to the screen and grinned as he saw himself. Then the warrior, after the child had fallen asleep, carried him back to his own bed. Sword and Blade were smiling as the video played. In the middle, they jumped for joy with excited shouts, surprising everyone around them, but even more surprising was the pillow that slammed into the pair mid-jump, knocking them to the ground. Blade stood up and glanced towards the knight. Meta Knight hadn't moved at all, but there was no one else in sight.

"Uh, even if he was awake, I doubt he could throw a pillow at us with just one arm," Sword reassured without much confidence.

"You know, just because I only have one arm doesn't mean I can't aim." Everyone turned, shocked from the sudden reply, and found the warrior facing them with a smile. Kirby was the first to react.

.

"Meta poy!" Kirby exclaimed happily, dashing forward and enthusiastically hugging his mentor. The elder puff returned the embrace with his arm, and the child squealed delightedly. Kirby rolled over and settled on the knight's injured arm, murmuring to himself happily. He rolled again and looked up at Meta Knight, his face beaming with bliss. The warrior laughed, and nudged the child off him with one arm. In the middle of their play, Sword and Blade sat on the bed, Blade scratching at the nerves in between his wings. The knight purred and sank towards the blanket, considering that it was his favorite spot to be pet, and Kirby nuzzled him affectionately as he joined the petting. In the midst of Meta Knight's enjoyment, Fumu approached him and knelt down to his level.

"Glad to see you're alright, Sir Meta Knight," she said earnestly. The warrior froze, his silver eyes widening and becoming unfocused as flashbacks from the battle flooded his mind. The searing pain… the maniacal laughter as the sword was plunged into his body… and worst of all, the shattering of glass, some of the shards impaling him… Fumu noticed his lack of motion and quickened breathing and she reached out to comfort him. Suddenly, the blue puff darted out from under his knaves' gentle petting, away from Fumu, and buried himself under a blanket.

"Get away from me!" He shouted, shaking with fear in the farthest corner of the bed. She stepped away and watched as Kirby approached, trying to comfort his mentor, and was immediately pulled under the blanket. Sword began petting the trembling lump and whispering comforting words, while Blade stared pointedly at Fumu and led her outside.

"Let Sword handle this," he said. "You and I are going to have to talk."

* * *

"I just don't get it," Fumu exclaimed, her arms crossed. "Why is he so scared of me all of a sudden?"

"There's many reasons I can think of at this moment," Blade mused, "but I'd rather not share them until I hear your opinion first."

"Is it because he got stabbed?"

"I think of it more this way. Where was Sir Meta Knight before you intervened?"

"Happily living in the forest with Kirby?"

"Yes. Now had you stayed in the town and accepted Dark Meta Knight as your king, where would he be?"

"Still living in the forest with Kirby, I guess. I mean, he wouldn't have been able to come back."

Blade nodded. "And he would never have gotten stabbed or forced to come back. He could've stayed there, Fumu, and led a peaceful life, where the only thing he would ever have to use Galaxia for is chop down weeds and maybe trim Whispy's branches for a favor or two. There would be no enemies chasing him down, and while everything would be slightly busier around the town, we would've still been able to visit him.

"In his eyes, you ruined any chance he could've had at that peaceful life, all because you hated this transfer of power. Yes, how Dark was treating the Cappies is wrong, but an army besides the Waddle Dees is necessary for this kingdom. You thought of nothing or no one but yourself, and in the end, he'll never be able to regain that peace. And because of you, he was forced to fight when he didn't want to and he got stabbed as a result. Now you tell me why he's terrified of you."

Fumu fiddled with her fingers, Blade's harsh words making sense in her mind. "Never thought of it that way…"

"It'll be fine, though. He'll recover soon enough, and when he does, we can gradually ease him back into his regular life."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, Fumu. He'll be back to his old self before you know it."


End file.
